What Mistakes Did You Make in 2009?

[Esq.2B]

Taking too much biotin. It ended up having a reverse effect and I lost CLUMPS of my hair. I only have 1/3 of my hair left and it is apl. I started taking it in January. By March most of it had vanished. It was the only thing I was taking at the time.

Really? How much were you taking?

 

[Ashleescheveux]

-Not detangling well which led to tons of hair loss
-Being harsh with my hair
-Stretching for too long (not for me)
-Not DCing enough
-Texlaxing (not for me, Im relaxing straight)

 

[BobbieDoll]

My biggest mistake was going to the dominican salons every week. I got extra lazy and didnt want to wash my hair myself and let them do it and fry it every week. This led to thinning edges and tons of broken hair.

 

[mika vs sasha]

I'm on the fence, but I think that going natural might have been one of my mistakes. My hair was over processed starting in late 2008 and continuing into early 2009. I finally got the point where I couldn't get a relaxer. My hair was so thin and I was just over it. Right now, I have so much breakage that all of my relaxed hair is missing in the back of my head. It literally just broke off. I like my new growth but I'm struggling with cutting it and I'm hanging on to those front ends. I basically wear my hair in a bun everyday. But I have no idea on what my hair journey will be for 2010. Maybe God will give me the courage to BC.

 

[BostonMaria]

@BostonMaria kinda random but...I was looking at your avi and my avi and I realized that the way my hair is growing out of these layers looks like it might look like yours someday..tail and everything

My tail twin! LOL Yeah you're right. I will eventually (hopefully) cut it to a blunt length.

 

[softblackcotton]

I definitely took low manipulation too far. It was a good and bad thing for my hair that I learned to do my own kinky twists, however, keeping them in for 3 months is a BIG NO NO. I lost about 3-4 months (2.5-3 inches) of growth due to the matted and detangling mess since my hair had begun to self loc. When school/work took up most of time, I started going back to the Africans to get my hair braided. I also lost alot of hair due their generally rough and careless braiding methods. They didn't make fun to pull out my hair from the root if their tiny toothed comb could not part my thick natural 4a/b hair. Those African braiders hate natural hair especially if sorta long (mine is about CBL) and thick. Watch out for them! I refuse in 2010 to pay them to pull out my hard earned hair. I would have been APL by now if not for these major setbacks. Not to mention my biggest setback of all combating trichotillomania (my ultimate enemy of long hair), I going to see a counselor in 2010.

 

[temfash]

When do you use PC...Once in a blue moon, weekly, monthly? Has it helped with growth and manageabilty?

Thanks again for your insight.

I use it only when I shampoo about once or twice a month. My hair is very porous and does'nt hold unto moisture, PC has helped with moisture retention and manageablity.

 

[aegis]

not realizing that i actually need some heat in my life.

 

[halee_J]

99% percent of my mistakes included protein.
I learned the hard way the MY relaxed, but coarse strands, (ESPECIALLY my ng) appreciates protein ONLY about every 6 weeks and as a relaxer midstep.

Secondly, when protein is needed it must be mixed with moisture and plenty of it! Using protein and following up with moisture is a pain and has never ever worked for me. I'm upset that I ran into a wall every time and lost hair as well as inches.
It still hurts :/

we are so ------->here<------- on the bolded! I actually use two different conditioners and sealants on my hair, beacuse my NG and relaxed hair are sooo different, almost like polar opposites....

 

[halee_J]

Not following my 1st instincts. It's always good to follow your first mind.

This is very true

 

[Desarae]

Not keeping it simple. At the beginning of the year I had a good regimen and staple products, but I still just had to try the new stuff.

Highlighting my hair with bleach, even though it was only a few, it still made my hair prone to breakage, and I couldn't afford to lose ANY hair this year.

Trying the BKT. My hair is heat sensitive, I should have known that it would not be able to take the heat required to do the treatment.

Not working in sections sooner.

Not being as gentle as I should.

Not using oils in my hair. Now I know too much can be bad, but just the right amount of oil can do wonders for my hair.

 

[taz007]

Not exercising.

Drinking very little water.

I know that could have gotten even faster growth had I done these two things.

 

[Lita]

Too much henna & not enough moisture (Live & learn)





Happy Hair Growing!

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Being Impatient and running a relaxer thru my Natural hair, knowing what it do to my crown area. DUMB DUMB DUMB!!!

 

[azuquita_morena]

Definitely not detangling as much as I should. I get so many knots in my hair, and when I do detangle, I feel/hear my hair ripping or shreading. I definitely need to get this together!!

Also, I did not keep up with my overall care of myself which can aid in hair growth (taking vitamins, eating properly, exercising, etc)

 

[Polyesterdiva]

Great tread!

My mistakes have to be getting careless with using a regi that worked and switching up products as well. I dropped a lot of protein from my system because I ran out/wanted to try something new/was an idiot. Gave up Aphogee 2 min and Profectiv BreakFree and wondered why my hair was suddenly mush. I lost a lot of hair before fixing this!

Oh, and letting my stylist "trim" me when I knew better. NOT happening again.

Aside from that 2009 was a great hair year for me! :-D

 

[foxee]

Too much protein!
No heat protectant (Pre-LHCF)
Air drying (I get a lot of tangles this way)
Trying too many different products without sticking to what works for me
Obsessively picking at my single strand knots

 

[curlcomplexity]

Going to a salon I lost more than 3 inches of length and got a lot of breakage from the harsh treatment. I don't plan on going to a salon ever again in life.

...besides that no other regrets. Still loving my hair, it's recovered nicely since that visit and I'm almost back to MBL

ETA: I actually do have another regret. Not spending as much time in this section of the forum as before...I'll make sure to change that in 2010!

 

[dlove]

Twisting on wet hair

Coloring using a developer to lighten it

 

[jayjaycurlz]

I should've never went to a stylist that didn't listen. I mean every time I went for a touch-up @ 10 weeks post she would give me a blunt cut when I only wanted a trim. I used to wear my hair in WnGs 100% of the time - I mean there really was no need for blunt cuts and kept on telling her that I wanted to grow my hair to APL. Going to a stylist that didn't know the difference between a cut and trim made me miss my hair goal of APL in 2009. With 20-24 week stretches, BKT, self trimming/dusting, DCs and PS - I hope to make that goal this year.

HGH in 20TEN!

 

[mstar]

My mistake was failing to trim damaged ends. I will NEVER do that again! I see people saying every day that they'e holding onto their length for vanity's sake, and I pray that they wise up and trim that mess...it's not worth it to hold on to damage, trying to be cute.

I would already be at APL if I'd trimmed at the beginning, before it got worse.

 

[sqzbly1908]

The beginning of the year ...using alot of oil concoctions ...I had a little setback as the oil(s) were weighing down my hair even after I washed it out ....should have just left well enough alone.

Tried to just wash hair once a week...couldn't maintain my style and my hair would get oily within 2-3 days...went back to my washing 3-4 days a week (when I knew I would be wearing my hair out).

Didn't trim for 4 months...no mo 'gin!!!

 

[sunnieb]

At the end of July, I was so excited with my hair progress because I made it to APL for the first time in my life. However, it was short-lived because I got lazy one night in August and decided not to cowash as usual. Instead I took straight, undiluted conditioner and applied to my ends and bunned it up for the night. The next morning, I took my bun out and out came about 1/2 to 1 inch of hair from the ends!!! I literally screamed!

In 2010, I will NOT get lazy with my haircare. Not even once. I've recovered from that mishap, but I can't believe all the hair I lost because of my laziness.

 

[sky035]

Not moisturizing my hair enough
Co-washing too frequently

 

[adi687]

I should have been more consistent. After 6 months, I was so happy with my progress that I started procrastinating on DCs and co washes, not moisturizing enough, and had a lot of breakage

 

[Miss AJ]

Continuing to relax bone straight after I sat and watched a stylist relax my already relaxed hair and continuing to relax when I knew it was a mistake from the beginning.

 

[Angelicus]

My hair suffered from August-December 2009. I didn't have all of the tools/products I needed to keep my hair in tip-top shape... not to mention, the dry climate tore up my hair. I am starting off fresh in 2010. I'll get a relaxer soon and do a henna+indigo treatment... find some bentonite clay and some AO HoneySuckle Rose Conditioner and I'll be good!

 

[I Am So Blessed]

made no mistakes as far as hair goes.

 

[grnidmonster]

I allowed my crazy hairdresser to cut my hair. I had a major setback and had some awful ends. I havent seen my hairdresser in some time but I really needed a trim. I asked her to remove the thin damaged portion and she gave me a Mullet. I want to kill her because I dont know what to do with it until it grows out. It is healthy but, ugly!

 

[MsWowFactor]

My mistake was that i started taking the powdered form of the Maca vitamin in November and it broke my skin out horribly. Im still working on correting it.

I also used Megatek and my hair hated it. I got a bad headache from it and it made my scalp burn. I notice a few strands of hair shedding from the root when I combed it. This just happened a few days ago so im not sure of the full effect yet. I stopped using it after that night. My hair is still shedding a little but not a lot.